The 2023 version of the Vuelta a España could properly boast the strongest slate of contenders within the race’s historical past, with the defending champions of all three Grand Excursions on the beginning line in Barcelona on Saturday.
Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard’s presence is probably the most intriguing, as he seeks a uncommon double, and his cohabitation with Jumbo-Visma teammate and Giro d’Italia winner Primož Roglič will probably be one of many key subplots of this race.
A yr in the past, Roglič was the person probably to disclaim Remco Evenepoel general victory till a crash ended his problem within the third week. Now Evenepoel arrives at this Vuelta as the person with unfinished enterprise after a bout of COVID-19 compelled him out of the Giro whereas carrying the maglia rosa.
However it is a race of a number of contenders, with riders like Juan Ayuso, Geraint Thomas and João Almeida all quietly assured of constructing an impression between right here and Madrid. Forward of the race, Cyclingnews takes a more in-depth have a look at the favourites for this Vuelta.
Associated – Vuelta a Espana 2023 Route: Every little thing you could know
In abnormal circumstances, Roglič and Roglič alone could be the excellent favorite for this Vuelta a España because of each his pedigree and his type. The three-time winner is aware of the actual exigencies of this race higher than some other contenders, and he has a 100% report in stage race to date this season after victories at Tirreno-Adriatico, the Volta a Catalunya, the Giro d’Italia and this month’s Vuelta a Burgos. Just one man – Alberto Contador in 2008 – has gained the Giro-Vuelta double for the reason that Grand Tour calendar was reformatted in 1995, however Roglič appears to be like properly positioned to succeed the place Vincenzo Nibali got here simply brief a decade in the past.
The largest impediment to a record-equalling fourth triumph, nonetheless, may properly come from throughout the Jumbo-Visma camp. Jonas Vingegaard was on one other aircraft to
all comers on the Tour de France and if he reaches comparable ranges in Spain, Roglič may discover himself consigned to a supporting position. The pair set out from Barcelona as joint leaders, thoughts, and Roglič’s means to snare seconds in hilltop finishes may give him an early benefit. The stage 10 time trial will probably be pivotal for his ambitions.
Vingegaard’s superiority on the Tour brooked no argument and it appears very clear that he has not elected to trip the Vuelta merely as a deluxe domestique for Roglič. He introduced his intention to compete on the ultimate weekend of the Tour, and Jumbo-Visma have insisted that it was at all times the staff’s plan to discipline each Vingegaard and Roglič in Spain.
The Dane’s lone Vuelta expertise so far got here within the pandemic-delayed version of 2020, when he completed forty sixth general whereas using as a part of the Jumbo-Visma squad that helped Roglič to general victory. This day out, Vingegaard begins as co-leader of the Dutch squad and will probably be fascinating to see how he fares on the stage 3 summit end in Andorra. He hasn’t turned a pedal in anger for the reason that Tour completed 5 weeks in the past, and the boys who competed in Poland and Burgos may be tempted to check his race-readiness.
Combining the Tour and Vuelta in the identical yr is a fragile balancing act, and it took Chris Froome repeated makes an attempt on the double earlier than he finally pulled it off in 2017. Vingegaard, nonetheless, has all of the appearances of a fast learner.
The defending champion has been barely overshadowed within the build-up by Jumbo-Visma’s double act, however it will be silly within the excessive to put in writing off Evenepoel, although the route seems fairly much less amenable to him than it was a yr in the past. The Belgian’s performances at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the opening week of the Giro steered that he had reached one other stage in 2023, and he has recovered properly from the case of COVID-19 that ended his Italian expedition so abruptly.
Evenepoel returned to motion with third place on the Tour de Suisse earlier than profitable the Belgian title, the Clásica San Sebastián and the time trial on the World Championships. His defence of his street title in Glasgow resulted in disappointment, however that was maybe solely to be anticipated. The explosive, city-centre circuit was hardly suited to a person who had been getting ready at altitude for the lengthy ascents of the Vuelta. His conflict with the Jumbo-Visma pair in Spain will probably be a captivating watch and can, maybe, supply some pointers for his Tour de France debut in 2024.
After putting third on his debut a yr in the past whereas nonetheless a teen, Ayuso returns to the Vuelta with designs on going a step or two additional, regardless of the lofty opposition. Damage delayed the begin to the Spaniard’s season till late April, however he was shortly up to the mark, profitable the time trial on the Tour de Romandie after which including two levels on the Tour de Suisse, the place he additionally positioned second general.
Ayuso hasn’t raced since he crashed on the Circuito de Getxo in late July, however he evinced confidence about his situation earlier this week. Not like the opposite contenders on this record who’ve all lined out at both the Giro or Tour, Ayuso has spent your complete yr constructing in the direction of the Vuelta. He already demonstrated his powers of endurance with a high-quality third week in 2022 and one imagines that have will stand to him this day out.
Like Germany in a serious soccer event, Thomas is the person who can by no means be written off in a Grand Tour. The Welshman has raced in eight Grand Excursions since he was formally launched from tremendous domestique duties in 2017. 4 of them – the 2017 Giro, the 2017 Tour, the 2020 Giro and the 2021 Tour – had been both ended or compromised by crashes. He had clear runs on the Excursions of 2018, 2019 and 2022, and this yr’s Giro, nonetheless, and he completed on the rostrum every time.
A day after dropping the Giro on the final on Monte Lussari, Thomas had already turned his consideration in the direction of the Vuelta, a race he has competed in simply as soon as earlier than, putting 69th in 2015. Thomas was largely nameless on the Tour de Pologne and he was a distant tenth within the Worlds time trial, however that’s scarcely a trigger for alarm. His pre-Giro type was nondescript, however he proceeded to supply a constant three weeks that additionally netted him ultimate general victory. The Vuelta is a unique form of problem, however the 37-year-old will probably be within the image all the identical.
Ayuso understandably attracts the attention within the UAE Group Emirates line-up, however João Almeida’s quiet consistency in Grand Excursions has been evident since his debut season, when he positioned fourth general on the Giro after main the race for over two weeks. He lastly made it to the rostrum this yr and he was even in competition for general victory till the dying days after his high-quality stage win atop Monte Bondone.
Now 25, the Portuguese rider appears to be like to have moved up one other stage in a season that has additionally seen him place second at Tirreno-Adriatico, third on the Volta a Catalunya and second on the latest Tour de Pologne. Final yr on the Vuelta, he discovered himself using predominantly within the service of Ayuso, however he nonetheless had the wherewithal to say fifth general for himself. They may type a redoubtable double act at this Vuelta, and the UAE roster additionally options an intriguing third man within the form of Jay Vine, who rode strongly on the latest Vuelta a Burgos regardless of a crash on stage 2.
Vlasov was among the many many riders to fall sufferer to sickness throughout a most attritional version of the Giro, and he’s now trying to make amends on the Vuelta. He can definitely draw encouragement from his show on the Vuelta a Burgos, the place he completed second general behind Roglič, with the staff time trial and time bonuses accounting for his ultimate, 39-second deficit. He was additionally third on the Clasica San Sebastian in late July.
The Russian’s Grand Tour profession so far has been pockmarked by premature abandons, however when he lasts the course, he tends to trip with quiet consistency, putting fourth general on the 2021 Giro and fifth finally yr’s Tour. He leads the road for Bora-Hansgrohe right here, although will probably be fascinating, too, to gauge the progress of 20-year-old Cian Uijtdebroeks, who strains out for an eagerly anticipated Grand Tour debut.
The Vuelta, Banesto supervisor José Miguel Echavarri preferred to say when the calendar was redrawn within the Nineties, is for individuals who failed in July. The ‘Holy Household’ continues today beneath the Movistar banner and the administration of Eusebio Unzue, and the maxim nonetheless holds true. After crashing out of the Tour on the opening day in Bilbao, Enric Mas strains up on the Vuelta trying to salvage a subdued season.
A string of stable shows within the Spring – fifth on the Ruta del Sol, sixth at Tirreno-Adriatico and fifth at Itzulia Basque Nation – steered Mas was on target for the Tour, however then a disastrous Dauphiné raised questions on his preparation. The Tour crash meant the talk was moot: the Vuelta is now make or break for his season.
Mas, thoughts, has the lucky behavior of bouncing again from Tour disappointments in his residence race. He adopted final yr’s Tour abandon with second place general on the Vuelta, the identical place he completed in 2021 and 2018. Towards a discipline of this depth, nonetheless, it’s tough to think about that Mas would be the man to finish Spain’s nine-year victory drought.
In some way, 4 years handed between Dunbar’s first and second Grand Tour appearances, however the Irishman made up for misplaced time with a high-quality show on the Giro in Could. After using within the service of others at Ineos, Dunbar was signed as a frontrunner by Jayco-Alula, and his Giro efficiency justified their religion. Though he would slip to seventh general within the Monte Lussari time trial, the Banteer man was one of many few riders to dwell with the eventual podium finishers within the ultimate week.
On condition that damage had dominated Dunbar out of motion in February and March, there have been murmurs that Jayco-Alula would dispatch him for a Tour debut in July, however as a substitute he was withheld to guide the road on the Vuelta. He warmed up for the race with seventh general on the Tour de Pologne, and he arrives at this Vuelta after finishing the primary full-length altitude camp of his profession. The 26-year-old has ample margin for enchancment, in different phrases.
Landa will trip within the service of Evenepoel at Soudal-QuickStep subsequent season, however the Basque units out because the chief of Bahrain Victorious at this Vuelta. The race has by no means smiled on Landa earlier than – final yr’s fifteenth place was his highest-ever end, and his lone flash of brilliance was his stage win in Andorra again in 2015 – and he downplayed expectations earlier this week. “The staff desires me to go for GC, however I’m not very positive,” he stated.
Nonetheless, after a disappointing Tour de France, Landa will probably be eager to depart some form of a mark on a Vuelta that may even be his ultimate Grand Tour with this diploma of freedom. He shone early within the season, with second at Itzulia Basque Nation and third at Flèche Wallonne, and he might want to recapture that type right here if he’s to make an impression towards Roglič, Vingegaard et al.
